incinerate

verb

in·​cin·​er·​ate in-ˈsi-nə-ˌrāt 

incinerated; incinerating

transitive verb

: to cause to burn to ashes

incineration

in-ˌsi-nə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

Examples of incinerate in a Sentence

The waste is incinerated in a large furnace.

Recent Examples on the Web

At the funeral home in Texas, Jesse’s body was embalmed, his body bag bearing the official tag from the Medical Examiner’s Office was incinerated, and the mortuary placed a new name tag on Jesse’s ankle. —Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026

Children have been incinerated. —Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 8 Apr. 2026

Solar recycling innovation Global plastic production exceeds 400 million tonnes annually, yet only about 18 percent is recycled, leaving the majority to be incinerated, landfilled, or released into natural ecosystems. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 Apr. 2026

In a Sierra Nevada canyon all but incinerated in the 2021 KNP Complex fire, a new forest of California’s beloved giant sequoias is now growing. —Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin incineratus, past participle of incinerare, from Latin in- + ciner-, cinis ashes; akin to Greek konis dust, ashes

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for incinerate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

incinerate

verb

in·​cin·​er·​ate in-ˈsin-ə-ˌrāt 

incinerated; incinerating

: to burn to ashes

incineration

-ˌsin-ə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

incinerate

transitive verb

in·​cin·​er·​ate in-ˈsin-ə-ˌrāt 

incinerated; incinerating

: to cause to burn to ashes